Family

In this topic, you are going to learn family members. Everyone has a special name in Turkish. I feel sometimes confused about the names and titles in Turkish. Let’s start with the main family members:

• Anne: Mother
• Baba: Father
• Kardeş: Sibling
• Oğlan: Son
• Kız: Daughter

There is a difference between siblings. For example, if a man/woman has siblings, they are called sister or brother. However, it is not the same in Turkish. Let’s look at the examples.

• Abi: Big brother (man)
• Abla: Big sister (woman)
• Erkek Kardeş: Little brother (man)
• Kız Kardeş: Little sister (woman)

In Turkish, everyone has a special name in family. For example, it is the same in English to call my mother’s brother and my father’s brother which are uncle. However, they are not the same in Turkish. For example;

• Hala : My father’s sister (aunt)
• Teyze : My mother’s sister (aunt)

• Dayı: My mother’s brother (uncle)
• Amca : My father’s brother (uncle)

• Anneanne / Büyük Anne: My mother’s mother
• Babaanne / Büyük Anne: My father’s mother
• Dede / Büyük Baba: My mother’s father
• Dede / Büyük Baba: My father’s father

There is also a confusing part for cousin’s names in Turkish family. The word of cousin (kuzen) is also used in Turkish, but it is not that commonly used. Below mentioned words are commonly used by Turkish people. All of them also called as kuzen (cousin).

• Amca oğlu: My father’s brother’s son
• Amca kızı: My father’s brother’s daughter
• Dayı oğlu: My mother’s brother’s son
• Dayı kızı: My mother’s brother’s daughter
• Hala oğlu: My father’s sister’s son
• Hala kızı: My father’s sister’s daughter
• Teyze oğlu: My mother’s sister’s son
• Teyze kızı: My mother’s sister’s daughter

Don’t you feel confused about the family members?